Review: Dogfish Head Flesh & Blood IPA

I guess the flesh is the hops. The blood is in the juice: This is an IPA flavored with orange peel, lemon flesh, and blood orange juice.

A shandy it’s not, mind you, though what it actually is is difficult to describe. Tart citrus juice tones down the piney bitterness of the IPA, without adding any real sweetness. The effect is initially a bit jarring, making the beer at firm seem like it might be some kind of hybrid sour, though ultimately the impact of the added fruit isn’t enough to completely deviate from the IPA at the core.

Bitter-sour through and through, it’s a bit grapefruit-like at times, but showcases lemon-peel at others. While it shows clearer blood orange notes toward the end, the finish is otherwise muddy and, frankly, somewhat confusing.